Can body side seam soldering machine



April 24, 1962 E. w. WAGNER ETAL CAN BODY SIDE SEAM SOLDERING MACHINEOriginal Filed Jan. 2, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS April 24, 1962 E.w. WAGNER ETAL 3,030,904

CAN BODY SIDE SEAM SOLDERING MACHINE e Sheets-Sheet 2 Original FiledJan. 2, 1957 INVENTORS Wayne! Ida/arr? W Llzarlea' W. J'telizr lie;-

April 24, 1962 E, w. WAGNER ETAL 3,030,904

CAN BODY SIDE SEAM SOLDERING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1957 6Sheets-Sheet 3 .WWzg/wr C B? Jz eliel' M ATTORNEY April 24, 1962 E. w.WAGNER ETAL 3,030,904

CAN BODY SIDE SEAM SOLDERING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1957 6Sheets-Sheet 4 mrr o 8 fi mg Mm ATTORNEYS April 24, 1962 E. w. WAGNERETAL 3,030,904

CAN BODY SIDE SEAM SOLDERING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1957 6Sheets-Sheet 5 w. m 1 m April 24, 1962 w. WAGNER ETAL 3,030,904

CAN BODY SIDE SEAM SOLDERING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1957 6Sheets-Sheet 6 T 15; ElElE- M will INVENTORS Edward W VVagizer (/zarZ'eJW." 5262-561 ATTORNEYS United States 9 Claims. (Cl. 113-115) Thisapplication is a division of our parent U.S. patent application, SerialNo. 632,161, filed January 2, 1957.

This invention relates to machines for soldering or otherwise completingthe side seams of metal can bodies as they are progressively fed along apredetermined path. The invention, however, does not relate to theactual soldering means but to novel means for guiding the can bodiesthrough the machine while they are being heated and the side seams arebeing soldered and wiped, or possibly welded.

The machine disclosed includes an outside horse for guiding the canbodies to a soldering or other seamcompleting station, an inside hornfor guiding the can bodies through said seam completing station, and asecond outside horse for guiding the seamed can bodies from saidsoldering station.

' An object of the invention has been to provide such a machine which isreadily adjustable for can bodies of different sizes and/or proportionsand from which any damaged can body may be readily removed.

Each of the above mentioned outside horses is of the general type havinglongitudinal top, bottom and side members; and another object has beento mount the longitudinal members at the top and one side of the horseupon upwardly and laterally swingable arms which are pivoted tosubjacent cradles upon which the longitudinal members at the bottom andother side of the horse are secured, thereby providing for quick andeasy removal of any damaged can bodies.

Another object has been to make novel provision for adjusting the horsefor guiding can bodies of different sizes.

In the disclosed machine, the outside horses and the inside horn areshaped to guide rectangular can bodies having their side seams at onelongitudinal corner. It is essential that the seam corner of the canbody be downwardly disposed for proper presentation to the solderapplicator roll or other seam completing means; and the best results areattainable when the can bodies are so guided that said seam corner ofeach can body is intersected by a substantially vertical plane whichalso intersects the then uppermost corner of the can body; and anotherobject of the invention has been to provide a novel outside horsestructure which may be adjusted for handling can bodies of differentsizes and will retain the stated relation of body corners and verticalplane regardless of the can size.

If the horse be simply adjusted as to size, from one can body size toanother, it does not necessarily follow that the above stated relationof body corners and vertical plane will still remain. On the contrary, aplane through the two corners in question may be inclined instead ofvertical. A further object has therefore been to provide novel meanswhereby the cradles upon which the horse is mounted may be tilted tobring the two can body corners into the desired vertical plane.

A still further object has been to provide novel structural features forpermitting easy tilting adjustment of the cradles and for solidlyholding them in adjusted position.

Yet another object has been to provide a generally atent improvedconstruction which may be expeditiously manufactured and profitably soldat a reasonable price.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the following detailed description, the appended claims and theseveral views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation partly brokenaway.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view substantially on line2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevation, partly broken away showing aportion of the inside horn and its suspending means.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged end view, partly in section; showing the insidehorn and its suspending means.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of one of the hubs which are utilized insecuring the arcuate horn-suspending tracks to the shaft.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the arcuatetracks.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged detail section of one of the track-engagingrollers and the lug by which it is carried.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 9-9 of FIGURE1 showing one of the mounting arms, cradles and bases employed for the'outside horses.

FIGURE 10 is a top view of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a horizontal sectional view on line 11-11 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary top view showing one end of a base upon whichtwo ofthe arms and cradles of FIGURES 9 to 11 may be mounted.

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of the wedge shown at the right inFIGURE 9.

FIGURE 14 is a view similar to FIGURE 9 but showing the parts adjustedfor a different size can body.

FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of the wedge shown at the left of FIGURE14.

In FIGURE 1, the general association of elements is shown. Mounted onthe frame F of the machine are an outside horse 0 for guiding the canbodies to a soldering station A, an inside horn I for guiding the canbodies through said soldering station, and a second outside horse 0 forguiding the seamed can bodies from said soldering station for seamwiping. The customary feed chain for the can bodies is shown at C inFIGURE 2. Conventional solder applicator rolls R are shown in FIG- URES1 and 2 for soldering the side seams s of the can bodies B during theirpassage through the soldering station S. These can bodies B, in thepresent disclosure, are rectangular, and the outside horses 0 and O andthe inside horn I are accordingly of generally rectangular crosssection.

The machine frame F includes two fixed arched frames 20, said framesbeing disposed at the ends of the soldering station S and beingproportioned to extend well above the path of can body travel. Eachframe 20: includes a transverse bar 21 spaced downwardly from its crownbar 22, and these bars 21, 22 are provided with bearings 23 in which avertical screw 24 is rotatably mounted. A bridge bar 25 extendslongitudinally over the inside horn I and has nuts 26 on its endsengaged by the two screws 24.

Inside Horn and suspending Means The horn I, claimed specifically inparent application Serial No. 622,161, filed January 2, 1957, issuspended from the bridge bar 25 and when this bar is in its maxi-Patented Apr. 24, 1962 mum lowered position, with the nuts 26 resting onthe transverse frame bars 21, said horn is operatively aligned with theoutside horses and 0 By means of the screws 24, however, the bar 25 andthe Suspended horn I may be upwardly shifted (dotted lines in FIGURE 2)to raise the horn I well above its normal position. This not only allowseasy access to any can body which might by any possibility becomedamaged on the horn I, but it gives easy access to said horn when one ofa different transverse size is to be substituted for handling can bodiesof a different size. The two screws 24 are connected by a suitableoperating shaft 27 and gearing 28 for operation in unison.

Aligned bearings 29 (FIGURES 1 to 4) are secured to and projectdownwardly from the bridge bar 25, and 'a shaft 30 is rotatably mountedin said bearings. This shaft is driven synchronously with the feed chainC by means of a lower sprocket chain 31 (FIGURE 2) and an upper sprocketchain 32 (FIGURES l and 2). The drive sprocket 33 for the chain 31 isconnected with the drive shaft 34 from which the feed chain C is drivenin conventional manner. A clutch 35 preferably connects the sprocket 33with the drive shaft 34 to throw-out in case of overload but the clutchconstruction forms no part of the present invention.

Arcuate, horn-suspending tracks 36 are secured to the shaft 30 and areuniformly spaced apart along the same, said arcuate tracks beingdisposed in helically offset relation as most clearly shown in FIGURE 4.These tracks are all concentric with the shaft 30; and the actual tracksurfaces 37 all face said shaft and are uniformly spaced therefrom. Thearcuate spacing of the succeeding tracks to dispose them in helicallyoffset relation is preferably 60; and adjacent tracks preferably overlapa few degrees.

The upper portion of the inside horn I is provided with downwardlyfacing shoulders equal in number with the arcuate tracks 36, saidshoulders being preferably constituted by rollers 38. The tracks 36 passunder these rollers as the shaft 30 rotates and thereby suspend the hornI. Due to the helically offset relation of the tracks, theyprogressively disengage from their respective rollers 38 as any can bodyB approaches and then re-engage said rollers after the can body passes.The tracks can therefore offer no obstruction to advance of the canbodies and there are always a sufiicient number of the tracks androllers engaged to effectively suspend the horn in operative position.

The track surfaces 37 are longitudinally channeled as shown moreparticularly in FIGURES 3 and 7 and the rollers 38 are shaped for snugreception in the channels as seen also in these views. The tracks 36 androllers 38 thus coact in holding the horn I against longitudinalmovement.

It is preferable to provide the arcuate tracks 36 with identicalintegral plates 39 (FIGURES 3, 4 and 7) secured by screws and dowel pinsto hubs 40. The screws are shown at 41 in FIGURE 4 and one of thesescrews is shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 6. The dowel pins are shown at42 in FIGURE 4 and one of these .dowel pins is shown in dotted lines inFIGURE 6. For convenience of manufacture all of the hubs 40 areidentical. Each hub has a keyway 43 (FIGURES and 6) to receive a key 44for securing it to the shaft 30; and each hub also has an opening 45 toreceive a set screw for locking the hub. Each hub has circumferentiallyspaced openings 46 (FIGURES 5 and 6) and other circumferentially spacedopenings 47. Some of the openings 46 of each hub 40 receive thetrack-attaching screws 41 (FIGURE 4) and some of the openings 47 receivethe dowel pins 42. The remaining openings of each hub remain unoccupied.

In order to simplify substitution of one size horn for another, therollers 38 are all carried by a longitudinal bar 48 (see moreparticularly FIGURES 3 and 4). The body of the born I is detachablysecured at 49 to this bar. Lugs 50 are secured upon and project upwardlyfrom bar 48, and the rollers 38 are mounted on these lugs, preferably inthe manner shown in FIGURE 8. The lugs 50 are shaped to smoothly contactwith the upper corners of the can bodies B and in fact jointlyconstitute the upper corner of the horn I. The spaces between these lugsconstitute transverse recesses within which the rollers 38 are confinedand through which the arcuate tracks 36 are movable.

Outside Horses and Mounting Means The two outside horses 0 and O areeach composed of a top set of tubes 51, a bottom set of tubes 52, afront set of tubes 53 and a rear set of tubes 54, all of said tubesextending longitudinally of the horse. Each horse is thus adapted forguiding rectangular can bodies B with their seam corners disposeddownwardly for seam soldering, as shown more particularly in FIGURES 2,9 and 14. For attaining the best cooperation between the seams and thesolder applicator rolls R, the seam corner of each can body should beintersected by a vertical plane which also intersects the then uppermostcorner of the can body, as indicated by the broken line P in FIGURES 9and 14. However, the top tubes 51 are adjustable toward and from thebottom tubes 52, and the front tubes 53 are adjustable toward and fromthe rear tubes 54, to change the horse from one size can body toanother, and when such adjustments are made it does not necessarilyfollow that the above mentioned relation of can body corners and plane Pwill exist. On the contrary, a plane through the seam corner of the canbody and the then uppermost corner of said can body will usually beinclined. According to the invention, however, the horse is mounted in anovel manner on tiltable cradles which permit restoration of the desiredrelation of can body corners and plane P. Moreover, provision is madewhereby the top tubes 51 and the front tubes 53 may be swung forwardlyto give easy and complete access to any can body which may be damagedand must therefore be removed from the horse. The preferred constructionfor attaining these results is disclosed primarily in FIGURES 9 to 14.These views illustrate one of a plurality of units employed for mountingand adjusting each horse and such units may be employed at any desiredpoints, preferably at the ends and also between the ends of each horse.A description of one of the units will suffice, and reference is againmade to FIGURES 9 to 14.

An elongated saddle or base 55, hereinafter called a base, extendstransversely under the horse and is provided at its ends with feet 56 tobe bolted at 57 upon parts of the machine frame F. The base 55 has anupwardly open recess 58 between its ends, a flat top surface 59 at oneend of said recess 58, and a second fiat top surface 59a at the otherend of said recess, said top surface being in the same horizontal plane.Under the surfaces 59 and 59a, respectively, the base 55 is formed withopenings 60 and 60a, the axes of these openings being parallel with thelength of the horse. The base 55 is also formed with notches 61 and 61aintersected by the openings 60 and 60a, respectively, and extending tothe ends of the base.

Rocker pins 62 and 62a are turnably received in the openings 60 and 60a,respectively, and have their ends substantially flush with the oppositevertical sides of the base 55. The rocker pins 62 and 62a carry studbolts 63 and 63a, respectively, which extend upwardly through thenotches 61 and 61a and have nuts 64, 64a on their upper ends. Thesebolts are instrumental in securing a cradle, hereinafter described, uponthe base 55 and when said bolts are released they are outwardlyswingable through the notches 61 and 6111.

Two horizontal bars 65 are secured at 66 against the opposite verticalsides of the base 55 and their ends extend across the ends of theopenings 60 and 60a to hold the rocker pins 62, 62a against endwisedislocation in said openings. The intermediate portions of the bars 65span the sides of the recess 58 for a purpose to appear.

An elongated cradle 67 extends transversely under the horse and istiltably mounted upon the base 55. Between its ends, this cradle isprovided with a downwardly projecting lobe 68 received in the recess 58of the base 55, the sides of said lobe being in contact with the innersides of the bars 65. One end of the lobe 68 and the corresponding endof the recess 58 are formed with contacting arcuate faces 69 and 70. Theother end of the lobe and the corresponding end of the recess havesimilar contacting faces 69a and 70a. All of the surfaces 689, 70, 69aand 70a are concentric with an axis 71 extending longitudinally of thehorn and near the seam corners of the can bodies, said axis beingpreferably on the plane P. While the cradle 67 is being tilted, thefaces 69 and 69a slide on each other and the same is true of thesurfaces 70 and 70a. After such tilting, these contactingsurfaces aid insolidly supporting the cradle.

At one end of the lobe 68, the cradle 67 has a flat bottom surface 72for contact (FIGURE 9) with the top surface 59 of the base 55 or with awedge 73 (FIGURES 14 and 15) interposed between said surfaces 72 and 59.At the other end of the lobe 68, the cradle 67 is provided with a secondbottom surface 72a for contact (FIGURE 14) with the top surface 59a ofthe base 55 or with a wedge 73a (FIGURE 9) interposed between thesesurfaces 72a and 59a. When the surfaces 59 and 72 are in contact (FIGURE9) the surfaces 59a and 72a are at an acute angle to each other and thisangle is occupied by the wedge 73a. Similarly, when the surfaces 59a and72a are in contact (FIGURE 14) the surfaces 59 and 72 are at an acuteangle to each other and the wedge '73 occupies this angle.

The ends of the cradle 67 are notched at 74 and the wedges are notchedat 75 for reception of the bolts 63 and 63a, and when these bolts aretightened said cradle 67 is solidly held on the base 55 and is heldagainst displacement, longitudinally of the horse, by contact of thelobe 68 with the base-carried bars 65.

The cradle 67 has an inclined seat 76 upon which a block 77 is secured,the bottom set of tubes 52 being secured to said block '77. The cradlealso has a second inclined seat 76a to which a block 77a is secured, therear tubes 54 being secured to this block 77a.

An angular arm 78 is pivoted at 79 to the cradle 67 at the front of thehorse, for movement forwardly from the latter; and a removable pin 80normally locks said arm against pivotal movement. This arm 78 carriesone slide block 81 to which the front tubes 53 are secured, and a secondslide block 81a to which the top tubes 51 are secured. These blocks haveclamp-screw-and-slotconnections 82 with the arm 78; and dowel pins 83may be employed for locking said slide blocks in set positions.

The slide block 31 permits adjustment of the front tubes 53 toward andfrom the back tubes 54 and the slide block 81a allows adjustment of thetop tubes 51 toward and from the bottom tubes 52, thus permittingadjustment of the horse for handling can bodies of different sizes. Whenmaking such an adjustment, if it be found that the upper and lowercorners of the can bodies are in an inclined plane instead of in thevertical plane P, rectifying adjustment may be made by tilting thecradle 67 and utilizing one or the other of the wedges '73, 73a.

For the ends of each outside horse 0 and 0 toward the soldering stationS, a double base 55a (FIGURES l and 12) is preferably employed, with twoof the cradles 67 mounted on said base, and two of the arms 78 mountedon said cradles, respectively.

The top tubes 51 and the front tubes 53 do not of course extend throughthe soldering station S. However, additional bottom tubes 52a and backtubes 54a (FIG- URES 1 and 2) extend through said station S and aremounted at their ends on the cradles 67 closest to said station.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageousconstruction has been disclosed for attaining the desired ends. However,it is to be understood that numerous variations may be made within thescope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a mounting means for an outside horse of the general type havinglongitudinal top, bottom and side members, said members being relativelypositioned to guide rectangular can bodies with the seam corner of eachcan body presented downwardly for seam completion, and intersected by asubstantially vertical plane which also intersects the then upper cornerof the can body; a cradle extending transversely under said horse, meansfixedly mounting the longitudinal members at the bottom and one side ofthe horse on said cradle, adjustable means mounting the longitudinalmembers at the top and other side of the horse on said cradle foradjustment to adapt the horse for can bodies of different sizes, asupporting base for said cradle, and mounting means mounting said cradleon said base, said mounting means including cradle-adjusting meansallowing tilting of said cradle about an axis extending longitudinallyof said horse to properly position the seam corners of the can bodiesfor seam completion regardless of the size of the can bodies beingconducted through the horse.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; said axis being substantially onsaid vertical plane and near the seam corners of the can bodies.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1; said cradle adjusting meansembodying wedge means for chocking said cradle in tilted position.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1; said cradle having one of itsends resting on the top of said base and having its other end disposedat a sharply acute angle to said top of said base, said cradle-adjustingmeans including a wedge in said angle, and releasable bolts securingsaid cradle on said base and also securing said wedge in place.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1; said cradle having one of itsends resting on the top of said base and having its other end disposedat a sharply acuate angle to said top of said base, saidcradle-adjusting means including a wedge in said angle, and releasablebolts securing said cradle on said base and also securing said wedge inplace, said bolts being pivoted to said base for outward swingingtherefrom, said cradle and base having notches normally receiving saidbolts and allowing said outward swinging of said bolts when the latterare released.

6. In a mounting means for an outside horse of the general type havinglongitudinal top, bottom and side members, said members being relativelypositioned to guide rectangular can bodies with the seam corner of eachcan body presented downwardly for seam completion, and intersected by asubstantially vertical plane which also intersects the then upper cornerof the can body, a cradle extending transversely under said horse, saidcradle having a downwardly projecting lobe between its ends, meansfixedly mounting the longitudinal members at the bottom and one side ofthe horse on said cradle, adjustable means mounting the longitudinalmembers at the top and other side of the horse on said cradle foradjustment to adapt the horse for can bodies of different sizes, asupporting base for said cradle, said base extending under said cradleand having a recess receiving the aforesaid lobe, said lobe and recesshaving contacting surfaces curved about an axis extending longitudinallyof the horse and supporting said cradle for tilting adjustment aboutsaid axis to properly position the seam corners of the can bodies forseam completion regardless of the size of the can bodies being conductedby the horse, and bolts securing said cradle to said base.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6; said axis being substantially onsaid vertical plane and near the seam corners of the can bodies. 7

8. A Structure as specified in claim 6; said cradle having one of itsends resting on the top of said base at one end of said recess andhaving its other end disposed at a sharply acute angle to the top ofsaid base at the other end of said recess, a wedge in this angle, andreleasable bolts securing said cradle ends and said wedge to said base.

9. A structure as specified in claim 6; the ends of said base havinghorizontal openings formed therethl'ou gh on axes parallel with theaforesaid axis, pivot pins turnably positioned in said openings andconnected to the lower ends of said bolts, the ends of said base andcradle having notches normally receiving said bolts and allowing outward swinging of said bolts when the latter are released,

and two horizontal bars disposed in vertical planes and 15 2,103,074

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS741,620 Brooks Oct. 20, 1903 979,305 Hunt Dec. 20, 1910 1,883,539Cameron Oct. 18, 1932 1,966,380 Dodge et al. July 10, 1934 Gardner Dec.21, 1937

